8 month old up for 2 hours at night!

[first_time_mommy]

Hi!
I am in need of some help.  We have come here in the past, and I have found a fresh pair of eyes seems to help. Here's our situation...

Until about 3 weeks ago, we were going to bed around 6:30pm and up at 6:15-6:45 am. Lex would wake once around 3 am for a quick bf .  This feed was getting shorter and shorter, and after it dropped to less than 5 min, I decided it was time to nightwean.  I decided to go cold turkey.  When she woke, I went in and resettled her.  Here's the problem.  She does not go back to sleep.  For 4 days, she was up for 2+ hours in the middle of the night.  She doesn't get upset, just shouts and does a bit of mantra crying.  I decided that maybe she was not ready to wean, and went back to feeding.  A few days later, she slept through the night on her own.  then, last night, she woke up early (1am) I fed, but then she was up again from 4-6:30am.  I was so tired, I let her sleep from 6:30-7:20.  So, I need some advice.

What do I do???

More details...

she goes to sleep on her own for all naps and at night.  She has a lovie-a blanket, but also has a bear she likes to play with when she wakes early.  He is also in her crib.  She sleeps in her own room.  She is exclusively breastfed. 

She recently began crawling (about a week ago, in the midst of this).

No teeth yet, and no signs of any coming (if I can say that)

Our EASY:
Wake 6:30ish

So, what would other mothers do?  Leave her as long as she isn't crying?  Go to her, don't go to her? Continue to feed? Wean? gotta tell ya'll, I am sooo tired of waking up at night!

[first_time_mommy]

sorry, hit the submit button without finishing the EASY
E-7am(bf, solids at 7:45)
S 9-10 am (usually 45 min, sometimes up to 1.5hr)
E 11am (bf, then solids at 11:45)
S 12:30ish-2:00 (this nap usually lasts 1.5 hr, sometimes a little longer)
E 3:00 bf
E 5:30 solids
S 6:30

[~inbalance~]

Looks to me like she's ready for some more A time. 

[first_time_mommy]

Hmm.  You might be right.  I will have to start changing it up.  We went as long as possible before today's am nap.  She was up at 10:30 (a long morning nap)  We will aim for pm naptime closer to 1 and see what happens!

[~inbalance~]

I think around 8mos she should be able to do around 3hrs, give or take.  My 7.5mo DS2 is doing about 3hrs.  But increase slowly and keep activities quiet and low-key while you're stretching her A's out so that she doesn't get too overtired. 

[first_time_mommy]

I will be sure to increase slowly.  She has always been one to have quite a bit less A time than most her age.  I think that the AM nap is finally at the right time, but I have felt like she can possibly stay up longer between her am and pm nap.  I put her down at 1:20 today. She woke from the am nap at 10:35  She usually is up about 2.5 hrs, but today we did 2 hrs 45 min.  She has been asleep for 1hr 15 so far, which I would say is good.  We often get a 45 minute nap in either the am or pm and then totally exhausted by bedtime.  Plus, Daddy would be really excited if she were able to stay up a little later so he could spend more time with her after work!

[~inbalance~]

45min naps are *usually* undertired naps.  I think you can safely extend all her A times but go as slow as you like, even doing only 5mins every few days to give her time to catch up.  Sounds like you know your LO pretty good.    Hopefully if you can extend her A time a bit, you won't get those long NWings anymore.

[Peek-a-boo]

Totally agree with Martina.    Also, if she does have a long NW, I'd still wake her at your desired start time in the morning.  If you let her sleep in (so tempting!), you let her make up that night sleep and leave her so well-rested that she can keep filling in A time in the middle of the night.  Just went through this with my 7 month old and more A time was the answer for us.

[first_time_mommy]

Well, yesterday afternoon, she slept for a little over 2 hours!  We tried to keep her up as long as possible without getting OT, but 6:35 was all she could handle.  We had a NW at 1 (30 minutes) and then at 4:15 (fed).  She had another 45 minute nap this am, I thought she was tired, but I guess I should have waited longer.  She is such a bear when she gets OT, I aviod it at all costs!

Also, I can't help but wonder if a part of our issue is the night feed.  I am really starting to think that it might be time to wean from it as well...

[~inbalance~]

Well, it's normal for a BF baby to have a feed or two for awhile.  My DS1 had at least one until 10mos, and DS2 still has one or two.  BUT, I totally think the sooner you get tough about weaning them, the sooner they will stop waking for them!  I'm at that point now where I want to start cracking nightfeeds too.  So yeah, go for it if you think it will help! 

[first_time_mommy]

I agree.  Up until the last few weeks, she did seem to still need it.  However, she has slept through on her own (no nws) a few times in the past 2 weeks.  Hubby and I decided tonight is the night we will stop feeds.  I have been feeding less and less (we are down to just 3 min), so I think we are ready. Thanks for the help! 

[~inbalance~]

Good luck!  Keep us posted!  It might take a few nights, but I think after a few she will stop waking for them altogether. 

[first_time_mommy]

Well, I thought I would update, just in case anyone else is watching this post.  This weekend, LO caught a cold.  Bad timing to drop the feed, so we kept feeding (although I am still only feeding <3 minutes total).  Unfortunately, she has woken up an extra 1-2 times each night.  When she wakes, we go in and tell her to go back to sleep. It seems to be getting worse!  I don't know if it is the cold,  or if we are becoming a prop.  My guess is that our going in and telling her to go back to sleep is becoming a prop. 

I have also increased A time.  She is doing about 2.5 hrs in the morning before her nap (45 minutes), then about 3 hours before her pm nap (1.5hrs).  She refuses the catnap, and so we don't attempt it. She is usually absolutely exhausted by 6:15pm. 

Our current plan is to try again tonight to not go in her room at all.  Her cold is nearly gone. We will wait until she is crying, not just shouting at us.  I am also working to increase the first A time, although I am going at it very slowly, really trying to avoid OT with the cold and all.